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Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Classic Gingersnaps

It's never too early to start thinking about Christmas cookies, is it? Not for me. Gingernaps are some of my favorites - the crunch of the sugar topping, the soft and tender interior, the caramel-y molasses and the bold spices. It's familiar, and it's comforting, and cookies like these are the essence of why I bake.

I've been needing to get back to basics for awhile now. It's really easy to get swept up in this "blogging" thing, especially for someone like me who, for better or worse, can be a little but of a type-A perfectionist. I look at so many other bloggers and feel inferior because their photos are prettier or their recipes are tastier or their readership is higher, and instead of reminding myself to focus on my own goals and let everyone else excel at what they do best, I get off track. Before this blog, I would frequently adapt recipes to my liking, but never felt pressured to reinvent the wheel, and certainly never would have considered myself a "recipe developer". Now I find myself feeling a little guilty when I post a recipe that someone else came up with, which, of course, is not only silly, but also distracts me from my goal of sharing great recipes and hopefully helping others learn to bake or improve their skills.

My goal is to share the recipes I love, no matter who came up with them, and not doctor them just to keep up with the other bloggers whose goals differ from mine. These gingersnaps are a recipe I truly love, and one I've made for every Christmas since my first year out of college, when I picked up the wonderful and totally nondescript cookbook from which they came. I was trying to use up a gift card. Little did I know this book was totally worth full price.

The problem with most gingersnaps is that they taste delicious but the texture isn't quite right. Many recipes produce a batter that spreads way too much, producing a hubcap sized, crunchy wafer. That's a big oh-no-no in my book. Gingersnaps should be soft and pillowy and luxurious to bite into, their texture offering a comfort to match the rich and complex melding of spice and molasses that just makes you want to curl up in your PJs in front of the fireplace with a book, and never put on real pants again. This one fits the bill perfectly.

The recipe below is very true to the original, with the exception of making them into drop cookies, rather than refrigerating, rolling, and cutting the dough into shapes. It's really more of an efficiency adaptation than a recipe one.

These are the best gingersnaps I have ever had, and there is nothing I would suggest changing about this recipe, except, if you have the time and inclination, refrigerate the dough overnight, then roll out and cut into gingerbread men and women, like I did last year.

This recipe is a classic, must-have cookie for the holiday season, and I really hope you'll consider adding it to your holiday baking plans this year. In fact, go ahead and make a double batch to give as gifts or add to the Thanksgiving table. There is no better way to welcome the holidays than with a classic gingersnap!

In the bowl
of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed for
3-5 minutes, or until light and fluffy.

Add eggs and
molasses and mix until smooth.

In a
separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, salt,
ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and baking soda) to thoroughly combine and get rid of
any clumps.

Add the dry
ingredients to the mixer approximately one cup at a time, mixing on low speed
just until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl in between additions of
flour mixture.

Use a 2" ice
cream scoop to scoop balls of dough and roll the top half of the dough ball in
granulated sugar. Evenly space six balls of dough on a cookie sheet and bake
for 11-15 minutes until the cookies become puffy and the edges are very
slightly golden brown. These cookies are
best when they are slightly undercooked after 11-12 minutes. If you want them
to be all the way done, bake for the entire 15 minutes.

I've been wanting to make gingersnaps for my kids all season! I'm so glad you posted this recipe because now I don't have to go searching. Sometimes you find the perfect recipe, & there's just no need to change it! Pinning! Ps- your photos are gorgeous, as always!

Yummmm, gingersnaps are one of my favorite holiday cookies. I love the sugar coating on the outside, and your cookies look wonderfully soft and tender. "...makes you want to curl up in your PJs in front of the fireplace with a book, and never put on real pants again." Touche! That's the life I dream about haha. But wow, you really sold the recipe to me. Now all I want to do is bake these gingersnaps! One question, would you be able to recommend a good substitute for molasses in the recipe? Thanks!

Mine too Monica! The sugar coating is a little touch that makes a big difference. That initial crunch just *makes* the cookie because it contrasts so well with the texture of the center. These cookies are so comforting! Even if you don't live a life of leisure, at least you can pretend :)

As for the substitution question, that's a good one. Ideally, a really dark honey would be best, but in a pinch brown sugar, any honey, dark corn syrup or maple syrup (really any dark, sweet syrup) would probably do the trick. I'm not sure how it would affect the taste though, since I've never tried it. I'd love to know how it works out if you do end up trying one of the substitutions! Hope you had a great weekend!